The devices and electronic gadgets with which people interact are becoming more intelligent and capable of supporting an increasingly diverse array of functions, while also becoming more and more integrated into people's daily lives. The ways in which people interact with these devices and access their varied functionality is also changing dramatically. The familiar keyboard and mouse, while effective tools for inputting text and choosing icons on the virtual desktop, are very ineffective at manipulating objects in a virtual three dimensional space. Many devices, such as mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs) and handheld consoles, do not have room for a full keyboard.
Ideally, people would communicate with their electronic devices and computers directly through their own physical movements. In fact, significant advances have been made in recent years in the application of gesture control for user interaction with electronic devices. Gestures can be used to control a television, for home automation (i.e., to turn on/off appliances and lights), as interfaces for tablets, personal computers, and mobile phones. As core technologies continue to improve and their costs decline, gesture control is destined to continue to play a major role in the way in which people interact with electronic devices.